Elastic belt and support therefor



Dec. 22, 1953 osso 2,663,027

ELASTIC BELT AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed March- 30, 1950 Inventw; fiwzaZdfPasson,

Patented Dec. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v I 2,663,027 IELASTIC BELT AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Donald G. Posson, Needham, Mass.Application March so, 1950, Serial No. 152,772

This invention relates to an elastic belt and support therefor, andparticularly to a belt and support to be wornpreferably on' the insideof a pair of trousers or skirt, to support the trousers or skirt withoutshowing from the outside. Such.

a belt is commonly known as an inner-belt or invisible belt and isdesigned of course to support the trousers or skirtfon the body of'thewearer, and it also has the additional function of holding down theshirt or shirtwaist of the wearer and to keep it frompulling up andoutat the waist This application is a continuationih-part of a'pplicants'copending applicationSerial No. 134,508, filed'December 22,1949 nowabandoned.

inner or invisible belts as such are old, but they have generally beennon-elastic or nonstretchable, and when worn on the inside of thetrousers or skirt at the waist-band loops are provided for holding thebelt in position. Another inner belt or band which has, been soldcommercially is made from a woven non-stretchable piece of fabric and ismade slip-resisting by having a series of uncovered and exposed rubberstrands interwoven with the'fabric and forming protuberances extendingabove the surfaceof the fabric. This belt or band'is normally'sewn intothev garment at the waist-band,'or is used as the apron of the garment.Such inner belts,

whether elastic or non-elastic, have not proved One oi" satisfactory forone reason or another. 7 the difiic'ulties has been that ordinary fabricloops commonly attached at top and bottom on the inside of thewaist-band and through which the belt extends, are notsatisfactorybecause the trousers (or skirt) tend to. pull down from thepearance and hang of the trousers (or skirt) .2

I havediscovered, however, bycareful study and research, that an elasticand stretchable belt can be made (i. e. having elastic warp threads inits construction) which would yield, stretchand contract with themovements of the wearer, and that such a belt, was much 'moresatisfactory than a non-elastic belt. In addition, such a belt should bemade slipresisting (i. e. having exposed rubber protuberances on itssurface) 'and thus tend to prevent the shirt or shirt-waist of thewearer from pulling up at the waist. v Further, to make the devicepractical, asuitable belt support had to be provided, which' could bejreadilvattached to the, waist-jband alnd' trousers or skirt,

and in which the belt could be readily inserted 3 Claims. (01. 2-237)and removed therefrom in which the belt may slide longitudinally andwhich would hold the belt flat and prevent it from curling and rolling.I have succeeded in overcoming and solving the various problemspresented by such a belt, and

have succeeded in making an elastic and stretchable belt of wovenfabric, and having a slip-re: sisting surface, to be used in combinationwith a belt support having the characteristics men tioned, and which hasproved thoroughly practical in use. My belt has approximately a two.inch stretch, and is worn with a slight tension. It stretches and yieldscomfortably to the movements of the wearer and particularly when he issitting down. It is not generally realized that an increase of 1 to 2inches in the waistline occurs when an individual sits down in a relaxedposition, for'instance. The belt is so constructed that it will notcurl, or twist, and its slip-resisting surface causes it to cling to theshirt when bending, stretching or breathing, and will bring it back toits original position without binding the wearer. Thebelt supports areclips of wafer thin sheet nylon, which are permanently sewn to theinside of the waist-band of the trousers or skirt, in position toproperly hang the lower garment. They are designed so that the belt isheld below the top of the garment line-out of sight. The garment thuscannot ride up or down, but'it can be moved around to adjust it evenly.The belt gives a straight line appearance to the waist-band which makesthe wearer look slimmer.

Briefly, my invention. includes an elastic and stretchable'belt having aslip-resisting surface provided by exposed rubber protuberancesextendingabove the surface of the fabric, and a support for the beltwhich includes an attaching body of sheet material for attachment to thegarment and having a central leg extending downwardly from the bodyportion and a toe extending upwardly from the lower end of the legtoward the body' portion, whereby the belt maybe extended under the legand held sup ported by the toe. The lower end or foot of the leg isunattached or unsupported, and hence is,

free .to bend outwardly or inwardly, and the length of the leg from theattaching body por-.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstructon and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description andnot .of. limitation; and it isnotintended'to limit th'e invention-claimed herein beyond the requirementsof the prior art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation .ofmy-beltsupport;.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation" of th'e'belt support with a dotted lineposition indicating-1:.the:1f1'exi- -i bility of the support;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofunybelt;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a piece of: elastic: webbing from whichthe "belt is made;

Fig. .5 is a perspectivewiew showingmy belt and belt support inpositionandimuseon a pair of trousers; and V Fig. 6 is a verticalsection .on.-1ine-,B-f-6.of'Fig, 51

As shown in Figs. 3, .4, 5 andfi, ,theb'eltlil come prises a. strip ofstretchable :woven fabricjwebbing whichwebbing is woven.with'jnextensible. body. warp threads of yarn or fiber (not shown),exten: sible rubber body warp threads l2 (Figs- 4 and. 6) which arewoven into the bodyofthefabricand. covered by the. filling threads I6}exposed rube berprotuberances -I4 which may be in theform of .extensiblewarp threads raisedabove .the body of the webbing andproviding a.slipresisting.sur.e face, and filling threads 16'. It will be noted thatthe exposed rubber protub'erances I4 are; formed on both surfaces of thebelt-Ill;v As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the exposed'rubber. protuberances Mare warp threads arrangedinaseries of rows, with a pair of such rubberprotuberances l4 forming a row, and with foursuch rowson the inside ofthe beltandthreerowsonlthe. outside. It is to be understood,,.however,.that the precise number, arrangement, or, formation. of the ex-. posedrubber protuberances l4} andwhether in theform of warp threads, or notis immaterial, they. may be varied as. desiredlandthatmy. invention isnot .limited in .thatlrespect. Suitable means is further providedat the.ends ofthe belt for connecting. the. ends. together; and .whichas rshown in Figs. 3 and.5 comprises two fiat buckles Isa and I 82) whichare flat, substantially triangular pieces of. suitable. sheetmaterial,such as metal, plastic .orthelilie having a. transverse slot I9aandlflb, respectively, .through which .a loop, formed in the end ofthebelt'ispassed, .and'loop. isthen closed inany suitable manner, as. bystitching. A snap fastener comprising thecooperating partsilla. and20b3is providedin the buckles I811 and I81),.respectively,.whereby thetwo endsof the belt'areconnected. Asuitable separate adjusting buckle,2.2-'isv preferably pro vided on one end of the belt for adjustingthe.length of'the belt,.,which.holds abucklesuch as 18b for instance- As.such. anadjusting; buckle. 22 is well.knownandflcommonly used onextensible'suspender webbing, garters and, the like, itneed. notbediescribedlinfltaili. It will beunderstcod that thelength of belt-Illisnor: mally adjusted. by. buckle. 22..to,..fit-. undenslight tensionaroundthe. waist .of. the wearer, and will thus yield orstretch with themovements ofthe.

wearer.

The belt support or clip, tape used, in support. ing my extensible beltID with the..exposed.rub.-.

her protuberances [4 providing a slip-resisting surface thereon,comprises a single sheet of flexible material 30, such as plastic ormetal having springy qualities, and is relatively thin. Preferably thesupport is made of sheet nylon because of its flexibility, toughness andimperviousness to water, perspiration, dry cleaning solvents and thelike. The support 30 includes the body portion 3| and preferably a pairof arms 32 extendinggdownwardly IIOIIlzthe sides of the bodyportion-3|." A' central leg '33- extends downwardly from the attachingbody portion 3| and between the two arms 32 there0f. The lower end orfoot portion.34-,-of..the leg 33 is unattached or unsupported'exceptfrom the body portion 33 andghenceaiszzfree to be bent outwardly orinwardly... In..the. side elevation of the belt support30' (Fig? 2*) thedotted line position indicatesaihow the lower end of the leg 33 may bebent or flexed. The foot portion 3 3 of the central leg, 33;. carries,preferably atone side,- an upturned toe..35",-..extending upwardlytoward one of'the..side.arms. 3.2, jbut'leaving space andclearance.betw.een.them.., It..wil1..be understood, of course, that .a.toe..35..'may,beprovided extending laterally, from both sidesofthe foottiif desired, without departing..from.my.invention. A slot 36 isi thusformedbetweema side arm 32, and the toetfijand the..leg,,33 and .asimilar slot 35a is formed b'etweenthe. opposite. side. arm 32. andlegfiii; .throughyvhichthe belt .I 0- may, be passed. Aseriesofholes.BTLisLprovidedaround the outer edge -of the; body. portion 3| and downthe arms 32,", whereby: the body. portion 3L may be at tached to thegarment 40, which in this case is apairoftrousers. The-belt support 30is attachediatitsbodyportionsili. to the. inside of the waist-band. 4|of the. garment. in. any suitable manner, ,as.by, stitchingtfl, or byrivets, snap fasteners orthelika. Preferably five of my belt supports.30 are attachedstc the inner waist-band 4i ofthe. garmentspacedmore orless evenly apart, -andiasindicatedin Fig.5, two supports 30'areattachedjat the back. of the waistband and threev at the front; It'will be. understood, of c0urse,.that'. the number: of supports 31! tobe used can. bev varied. as. desired.

To insertlthebelt'. min each support at the beltl0;is..first"pushed;up,under the leg 33 and over. the. arms.32,,andlthenover. the toe, 35, to occupy theslots. 36l and.3.6a as shown inFigs. 1 and-5.. Theheighthoflthe. slot..35 is preferably approximately.thewidthof. the belt It. In inserting thebelt, I0 the flexibilityofjthe. sheet V nylonmaterial out.ofjwhich the. support 39 is preferablymade permits; the leg 33" to be lifted outwardly (as; indicatedbythedotted line position in Fig. 2). andith'einherent resiliency of thematerial their .causesltheleg 33 to snapback insubstantiallythesameplane as .therestof the support'..3fl. Itjwillthusbe noted" thatthe belt [0" isheldsuppprtedlby thetoe. 3'52 hooked up underthe.beltlflandllthattliebelt is held flatwise and'is.supportedagainst rollingupor twisting by the leg .313'.. Butiat .thesame. time the belt ports...30'v are likewise. attached; to. the. inside; of

the waistband]! ofthegarment-AO... When .worn in. this manner the. belt,of. .course, lies. inside the waistband; or; the. garment. 40., andbetween the waistband 4| and the shirt 50 (represented in dotted linesin Fig. 5), when the shirt 50 is worn tucked in at the waist. In Fig. 6a vertical section through the waistband, generally indicated at 4|, ofthe garment 40 is shown with belt I0 worn on the inside of the garmentand between the waistband 4| and shirt 50. The body of the wearer isgenerally indicated by the dotted lines at 60. The exposed rubberprotuberances l4 on the inside of the elastic belt l0 thus provide afriction or slip-resisting surface tending to prevent the shirt 50 frompulling up at the waist. At the same time the resilient belt I0 is freeto stretch and yield with the movement of the body of the wearer and toslide longitudinally in the belt supports 3|]. With this arrangement thewaistband of the garment can be fitted comfortably and even loosely, andit hangs evenly and will not roll or wrinkle as in a tightly fittinggarment. A very comfortable garment support is thus provided by means ofmy elastic belt l0 and belt supports 3|), which belt is very easilyplaced in the garment 40 and as readily removed. It will be understood,of course, that the belt I0 and belt supports 30 may, if desired, beworn outside of the garment 40 at the waistband, but in so doing many ofthe advantages of my elastic belt and support therefor are not realized.

I claim:

1. In combination, an inner elastic belt for supporting a garment fromthe inside thereof, said belt having a slip-resisting surface thereon, abuckle for connecting the ends of the belt, and a support for said beltadapted to be fastened to the inside of the garment at the waistbandthereof, said belt support comprising an integral member of flexiblematerial having a body portion and downwardly extending arms at thesides thereof for attachment to the garment, a central leg extendingdownwardly from the body portion and between said arms, said leg havinga foot extending laterally thereof in the same plane and said foothaving a toe open at the top extending upwardly, and said leg beingcapable of being flexed outwardly at its lower end whereby the belt maybe passed over said arms and behind said leg and be held supported onsaid toe.

2. In combination, an inner elastic belt for supporting a garment fromthe inside thereof, said belt having exposed rubber protuberancesforming a slip-resisting surface raised above the surface of the belt, abuckle for connecting the ends of the belt, and a support for said beltadapted to be fastened to the inside of the garment at the waistbandthereof, said belt support comprising a body portion for attachment tothe garment having downwardly extending arms at the sides thereof, acentral leg extending downward- 1y from the body portion and betweensaid arms, said leg having a foot extending laterally thereof in thesame plane and said foot having a toe open at the top extending upwardlytoward one of said arms, whereby the belt when extended behind said legand foot may be held supported on said toe.

3. In combination, an inner elastic fabric belt for supporting a garmentfrom the inside thereof, said belt having covered extensible body warpthreads therein, and a slip-resisting structure interwoven thereincomprising rubber warp threads having exposed portions raised above thesurface of the belt, a buckle for connecting the ends of the belt, and asupport for said belt adapted to be fastened to the inside of thegarment at the waistband thereof, said belt support comprising a bodyportion for attachment to the garment having downwardly extending armsat the sides thereof, a central leg extending downwardly from thebodyportion and between said arms, said leg having a foot extendinglaterally thereof in the same plane and said foot having a toe open atthe top extending upwardly toward one of said arms, whereby the beltwhen extended behind said leg and foot may be held supported on saidtoe.

DONALD G. POSSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 665,518 Goodman Jan, 8, 1901 1,755,291 Fox Apr. 22, 19302,173,469 Bennett Sept. 19, 1939 2,236,693 Newman Apr; 1, 1941 2,501,749Trent Mar. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 550,455 GreatBritain Jan. 8, 1943

